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Barbara M. Kershaw has a passion for learning and sharing her knowledge of the many varied and wonderful forms of embroidery generally called whitework. She has taken many courses and classes from the EAC, EGA, and ANG. Barbara is certified as an EGA Master Craftsman in counted thread. She also studied in Germany at the Museum de Schwalm in 2005 and 2011. She has been teaching for over 20 years at various EAC national seminars, EGA national and regional seminars, guilds in Canada, America and Bermuda as well as two International teaching tours of the USA. Barbara is the author of EGA Group Correspondence Courses – Noel and Individual Correspondence Course Basic Study of Schwalm Embroidery. Her book Exquisite Schwalm focuses on Schwalm filling stitches.

Carol Currier is certified by the National Academy of Needlearts (NAN) as a surface embroidery teacher. She served on the national board of The Embroiderers’ Guild of America (EGA) for eight years including as national President from 2007-2009. Carol is currently the EGA Chair of the Master Craftsman program in crewel embroidery. She was honored in the September 2018 Needle Arts as Designer Across America. Carol holds memberships in EGA, NAN, American Needlepoint Guild (ANG), and National Association of Needlework Teachers (NETA). She is a partner in a needlework shop in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Gail Stafford holds EGA Master Craftsman certifications in Canvas Embroidery, Color for Needlework and Design for Needlework. She is the author of Undulations II, an EGA correspondence course. She has been on the faculty of ANG and EGA seminars and has presented numerous programs for ANG and EGA chapters. Her current needlework focus is on translating scenic images into canvas embroidery designs, but she also enjoys Bargello. Her work has won many prestigious awards and has been published in Needle Pointers, Needle Arts, and Needlepoint Now.

Marion Scoular is a 3-year, Mark Excellent graduate of The Royal School of Needlework and a City and Guild’s Silver medallist. She has taught dressmaking in English High Schools, owned The Robin Hood Wool Shop for 13 years; taught Adult Education for Clemson University and has judged, lectured and taught in 49 states, Canada, Mexico and Australia. She is the author of many booklets and articles on Embroidery techniques

Jonalene is EGA certified in Counted Thread. She is a member of our Indian River Chapter in Florida and has been teaching various forms of needlework since 1982 at EGA chapters, and events at the regional and national level. She has over sixty needlework publications under the name of Friends in Needlework and three retired EGA Group Correspondence Courses.

J. Marsha Michler is a nonfiction author of 13 printed books, and 8 self-published eBooks on the topics of crazy quilting, embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, wire jewelry, and knitting. Her quilts have won awards at quilting shows, and her work has been featured in national magazines and other publications including our Needle Arts magazine. Holding a degree in Business Marketing, and three-quarters of a degree in fine arts, summa cum laude and dean’s list, she has taught classes on crazy quilting, embroidery, and wire jewelry. She actively pursues crazy quilting, embroidery, fiber spinning, knitting, fiction and poetry writing, ballroom dancing, stone wall building, and resides with her husband and dog in the beautiful and inspiring foothills of Southern Maine.

India specializes in contemporary and ethnic surface embroidery techniques including Yemenite Jewish and Yemenite Israeli embroidery, clothing embellishment, and fabric collage. She also teaches courses on embroidery design, Middle Eastern costume construction and embellishment, and nontraditional needlepoint and blackwork. Her articles on these subjects have appeared in Threads and Needle Arts magazines. An EGA Certified Teacher, India is the recipient of two EGA Legacy Scholarships and one Research Fellowship Grant. In 2017, she presented a lecture on “Embroidery, Clothing, and Feminine Identity in Jewish Yemen” at the Casper College Humanities Festival and Demorest Lecture.

Laura Smith is an embroidery innovator, nationally known designer, and process style teacher.She holds the EGA Master Craftsman in Color and has served as chair for the Master Craftsman in Color Program since 2006. She is a past Chairman of Fiber Forum (2011-2015) and a former director of an arts center. Her education in chemistry has helped her to understand mixed media and textiles. Her website is www.Stitch4Fun.com.

Linda Wyszynski lives with her husband, Dennis, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and is the owner of Hearthside Creations, LLC. She is a professional needle arts designer who has over thirty years of experience as an artist creating freelance needlework projects for publication. She began her designing career by painting custom needlepoint canvases for local needlepoint shops in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is an author of needlework textbooks, magazine articles, twenty multi-author books, and The Complete Photo Guide to Needlework (Creative Publishing 2012).

Linda has always been active in the art and needlework community, including the following: CHA Designer Section Council, Board of Directors Society of Craft Designers, and Outreach After School Project program for St. Paul Needleworkers EGA Chapter, needlework teacher for EGA regions and local EGA chapters, Board of Directors Needlework Guild of Minnesota, Twin Cities Metropolitan Art Council Board, and Polk County North Carolina Community Arts Council Committee. She is passionate about needlework and continues to be active in national organizations. She is currently a member of The Embroiderers’ Guild of America (EGA) and The National Needlework Association (TNNA).

Kim Sanders is an EGA certified teacher in crewel and surface embroidery and a Master Craftsman in surface embroidery and in smocking. She holds a degree in Textiles and Clothing from the University of Tennessee. Kim has taught at shops, chapters, EGA national and regional seminars and has authored four GCC, an ICC, and several Petite Projects. Her articles and designs have appeared in Inspirations, Needle Arts, Australian Smocking and Embroidery and The Smocking Arts. She filmed four embroidery focused segments of the PBS program, Creative Living with Sheryl Borden.

Cheryl Sharp has been a member of the Washington DC Chapter of EGA since 1981. She took a wide variety of classes in her chapter, region and at National Seminars before focusing on surface embroidery. She particularly enjoys crewel embroidery and stumpwork, and she adds beads and metal threads to spice things up! She was chair of EGA’s 17th National Exhibit and has been a contributing editor of Needle Arts since 2008, writing the Design Across America series as well as project articles. In 2007, she co-authored A Sampler of Crewel Stitches after examining an embroidery from EGA’s collection.

Kim Sanders is an EGA certified teacher in crewel and surface embroidery and a Master Craftsman in surface embroidery and in smocking. She holds a degree in Textiles and Clothing from the University of Tennessee. Kim has taught at shops, chapters, EGA national and regional seminars and has authored four GCC, an ICC, and several Petite Projects. Her articles and designs have appeared in Inspirations, Needle Arts, Australian Smocking and Embroidery and The Smocking Arts. She filmed four embroidery focused segments of the PBS program, Creative Living with Sheryl Borden.

Marion Scoular is a 3-year, Mark Excellent graduate of The Royal School of Needlework and a City and Guild’s Silver medallist. She has taught dressmaking in English High Schools, owned The Robin Hood Wool Shop for 13 years; taught Adult Education for Clemson University and has judged, lectured and taught in 49 states, Canada, Mexico and Australia. She is the author of many booklets and articles on Embroidery techniques

Jane Ellen Balzuweit holds teacher certifications in pulled thread and counted thread with the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. She has taught at various EGA national and regional seminars, Embroidery Association of Canada (EAC) seminars and for The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA). She authored correspondence courses for EGA and American Needlepoint Guild (ANG) and designed a petite project for EGA. Jane Ellen has taught cyber classes for ANG and the Shining Needle Society, designed for Rainbow Gallery and owned and operated a needlework store for 35 years.

Group Correspondence Course: A Touch of Fall with Jane Ellen Balzuweit

Carolyn Standing Webb has a degree in education but finds needlework much more rewarding to teach. She grew up in a home where art was a part of everyday life and creativity was encouraged. An EGA member of our Wasatch, Salt Lake City Chapter, she has been a needlework designer and teacher for over twenty years, teaching on the local, regional and national levels. She has a line of patterns available in retail stores. Several pieces of her work have been published in books and magazines and she has won a number of prizes for her needlework. She has her Master Craftsman in Counted Thread. Her goal is to share with her students her love of needlework and to help them relax and enjoy it.

Kim Sanders is an EGA certified teacher in crewel and surface embroidery and a Master Craftsman in surface embroidery and in smocking. She holds a degree in Textiles and Clothing from the University of Tennessee. Kim has taught at shops, chapters, EGA national and regional seminars and has authored four GCC, an ICC, and several Petite Projects. Her articles and designs have appeared in Inspirations, Needle Arts, Australian Smocking and Embroidery and The Smocking Arts. She filmed four embroidery focused segments of the PBS program, Creative Living with Sheryl Borden.

Barbara M. Kershaw has a passion for learning and sharing her knowledge of the many varied and wonderful forms of embroidery generally called whitework. She has taken many courses and classes from the EAC, EGA, and ANG. Barbara is certified as an EGA Master Craftsman in counted thread. She also studied in Germany at the Museum de Schwalm in 2005 and 2011. She has been teaching for over 20 years at various EAC national seminars, EGA national and regional seminars, guilds in Canada, America and Bermuda as well as two International teaching tours of the USA. Barbara is the author of EGA Group Correspondence Courses – Noel and Individual Correspondence Course Basic Study of Schwalm Embroidery. Her book Exquisite Schwalm focuses on Schwalm filling stitches.

Becky discovered EGA when the national seminar was in Denver, CO and she visited the education exhibit. She remembers standing in front of a pulled thread piece and thinking “this is what I want to learn”. She found the local chapter in Colorado Springs and my adventures began!

Becky has taught classes for her local chapter, local library, various EGA chapters, region seminars and the 2012 EGA National Seminar.

After retiring from the US Olympic Committee where she was Managing Director of IT, she became involved in EGA’s pilot program for Certified Appraisers which she co-chairs with Cheryl Christian.

She has served in volunteer posts in my local chapter in officer positions as president, VP/newsletter editor, secretary and treasurer and committee chair for exhibits, auction, education and luncheon. For the Rocky Mountain Region, she served as region director, secretary, treasurer, region seminar chair, region seminar registrar, and region retreat registrar. She has also served on the national level as Budget Director, Education Administrator, National Exhibit Chair for “Through the Needle’s Eye”, Bylaws Review Chair, 2008 National Seminar Treasurer and co-chair EGA Appraiser Certification program. Becky has been the recipient the Rocky Mountain Region Claire Award and the Gold Thread Award for the region.

Margaret Kinsey is an EGA certified teacher in silk and metal thread embroidery. She is certified to teach Japanese traditional embroidery. She is the designated US teacher for the Kunimitsu Rozashi Studio and studies with Fumiko Ozaki. Margaret is the 2010 recipient of the national EGA Gold Thread Award and teaches at all levels of EGA. She teaches at national seminars and chapters of ANG and EAC. She was the 2012 keynote speaker and taught at the New Zealand Embroidery Guild Conference in Christchurch, NZ, and toured, taught, and lectured additional venues in New Zealand. Margaret chaired the 5th, 6th and 7th EGA International Embroidery Conferences. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from NAN, 2021.

Barbara M. Kershaw has a passion for learning and sharing her knowledge of the many varied and wonderful forms of embroidery generally called whitework. She has taken many courses and classes from the EAC, EGA, and ANG. Barbara is certified as an EGA Master Craftsman in counted thread. She also studied in Germany at the Museum de Schwalm in 2005 and 2011. She has been teaching for over 20 years at various EAC national seminars, EGA national and regional seminars, guilds in Canada, America and Bermuda as well as two International teaching tours of the USA. Barbara is the author of EGA Group Correspondence Courses – Noel and Individual Correspondence Course Basic Study of Schwalm Embroidery. Her book Exquisite Schwalm focuses on Schwalm filling stitches.

Kay Stanis is an internationally known fiber artist, designer, Master Craftsman, and Certified and Graduate Certified Teacher of EGA and Kurenai Kai Traditional Japanese Embroidery.  She has been on the faculties of American Needlepoint Guild national seminars, Callaway School of Needlearts, Embroiderers Association of Canada, EGA national and regional seminars, Koala Conventions, South Australia Embroidery Conference, Embroidery 2000 (New Zealand), and many independent groups.

Barbara M. Kershaw has a passion for learning and sharing her knowledge of the many varied and wonderful forms of embroidery generally called whitework. She has taken many courses and classes from the EAC, EGA, and ANG. Barbara is certified as an EGA Master Craftsman in counted thread. She also studied in Germany at the Museum de Schwalm in 2005 and 2011. She has been teaching for over 20 years at various EAC national seminars, EGA national and regional seminars, guilds in Canada, America and Bermuda as well as two International teaching tours of the USA. Barbara is the author of EGA Group Correspondence Courses – Noel and Individual Correspondence Course Basic Study of Schwalm Embroidery. Her book Exquisite Schwalm focuses on Schwalm filling stitches.

Marion Scoular is a 3-year, Mark Excellent graduate of The Royal School of Needlework and a City and Guild’s Silver medallist. She has taught dressmaking in English High Schools, owned The Robin Hood Wool Shop for 13 years; taught Adult Education for Clemson University and has judged, lectured and taught in 49 states, Canada, Mexico and Australia. She is the author of many booklets and articles on Embroidery techniques

Denise Harrington Pratt is an artist and needlework designer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a passion for counted thread embroidery on linen. Denise has been teaching needlework since 1995. She has taught at Spirit of Cross Stitch Festivals, National and Regional Seminars for the Embroiderers’ Guild of America, Inc., and EGA chapters. She also has developed Group Correspondence Courses and Online Courses for EGA. Denise is an active member of the Southern Maine Chapter of EGA.

Carol Currier is certified by the National Academy of Needlearts (NAN) as a surface embroidery teacher. She served on the national board of The Embroiderers’ Guild of America (EGA) for eight years including as national President from 2007-2009. Carol is currently the EGA Chair of the Master Craftsman program in crewel embroidery. She was honored in the September 2018 Needle Arts as Designer Across America. Carol holds memberships in EGA, NAN, American Needlepoint Guild (ANG), and National Association of Needlework Teachers (NETA). She is a partner in a needlework shop in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Kay Stanis is an internationally known fiber artist, designer, Master Craftsman, and Certified and Graduate Certified Teacher of EGA and Kurenai Kai Traditional Japanese Embroidery.  She has been on the faculties of American Needlepoint Guild national seminars, Callaway School of Needlearts, Embroiderers Association of Canada, EGA national and regional seminars, Koala Conventions, South Australia Embroidery Conference, Embroidery 2000 (New Zealand), and many independent groups.

Gwen T. Nelson joined The Embroiderers’ Guild of America in 1997.  She is a member of the Louisville Chapter and a member of National Embroidery Teachers’ Association. She has served as the Tennessee Valley Region Director for four years, has chaired two region seminars and has served as the EGA national president. Gwen has been designing and teaching beaded pieces since 2000. She has taught both at the EGA chapter and region levels and at other venues outside of EGA. Gwen designed the pieces that were beaded by the thirteen region directors for the live auctions at the 2009, 2010, and 2011 EGA national seminars and the pieces that were donated by the EGA executive committee for the auction at the 2013 and 2014 national seminars. She also designed the 2013 national seminar logo beaded pin.

Gwen Nelson has been a teacher, Personnel Director for Jefferson County (KY) Government and a high school principal. Gwen has her doctorate In Administration and Finance from the University of Louisville.

Laura Smith is an embroidery innovator, nationally known designer, and process style teacher.She holds the EGA Master Craftsman in Color and has served as chair for the Master Craftsman in Color Program since 2006. She is a past Chairman of Fiber Forum (2011-2015) and a former director of an arts center. Her education in chemistry has helped her to understand mixed media and textiles. Her website is www.Stitch4Fun.com.

Melinda Sherbring came to embroidery through her fascination with historical crafts. An aerospace software engineer until retiring in 2013, she now teaches needlework with designs rooted in history. She has written two EGA GCCs, taught EGA’s 2020 Extended Study Program, and was featured in the March 2018 Needle Arts magazine as Designer Across America.

Natalia Frank is a self-taught stitcher and an award-winning needlework miniaturist. Her stitching journey started in her late 20’s with cross-stitch, and since then she has been discovering and studying other types of needlework. Attention to details that was borrowed from working in law enforcement institutions have brought her interest into Petit Point; she tried it and has been hooked ever since. What sparks her interest in Petit Point on silk gauze is that it is a challenge to depict as many details as possible in 1 square inch. Today she is lucky to be able to share her passion of Petit Point and the knowledge of working with silk gauze she gained through trials and errors with wonderful people, teaching small groups and individual classes at shows, seminars and in her little studio shop.

Dawn Donnelly is a mixed-media artist who enjoys incorporating other forms of art within needlepoint. She holds a teacher certification in canvas with the National Academy of Needlearts (NAN) and teaches nationally and locally for NAN, American Needlepoint Guild (ANG), and Embroiderers’ Guild of America (EGA). Dawn has been recognized for her excellence of work in numerous exhibits. She spends her time volunteering as membership chair and registrar for NAN, treasurer for NETA and president for ANG’s Magnificent Obsession Chapter. Several of her articles have been published in Needlepoint Now and Needlepointers. www.threadupdd.com

Sarah de Rousset-Hall is a professional embroidery artist and teacher based in West Sussex in the United Kingdom.

Sarah graduated from the Royal School of Needlework’s Future Tutor Programme in 2020, where over 3 years studying at Hampton Court Palace she learned a wide variety of embroidery techniques including Goldwork, Blackwork, Whitework, Crewelwork, Silk Shading, Canvaswork, Applique, Stumpwork and Box Making. She also spent time in the RSN’s commercial studio learning conservation and restoration techniques.

Since graduating, Sarah has taught regularly for the Royal School of Needlework and elsewhere, both in person and online as well as working in the RSN Studio and taking on private commissions and art pieces. She also volunteers with the Broderers of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

In February 2022 Sarah exhibited three art pieces at The Worshipful Company of Broderers Exhibition: The Art of Embroidery at the Bankside Gallery in London. Her Blackwork portrait of David Bowie, worked during her training is also currently on display at the exhibition celebrating the 150th anniversary of the RSN at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London.

Hailing from South Africa, Hazel Blomkamp is the author of 8 – going on 9 – books. She has designed, written about and taught embroidery and beadwork for more than thirty years and is best known for her less conventional approach to embroidery and Crewel embroidery, in particular.

Emma Broughton is a graduate of both the Royal School of Needlework Apprenticeship (2009) and The University of the Creative Arts (2012). Specialising in hand embroidery as well as screen printing and digital fabric design.

She is the Author of ‘Embroidered Boxes’ book published in April 2019.

Under the name Fairy Wren Embroidery, she teaches embroidery and box making classes, and offers a wide range of embroidery kits and undertakes commissions with her unique designs. Embroidered box making is her true passion because it combines her love of embroidery with 3D construction.

Julie Carmen joined the Embroiderers’ Guild of America in 2019. She has a Master of Library Science with a Certificate in Archives earned in 2009, from Emporia State University. The major focus of her embroidery research includes over 25 years of Laid Work, applied to two main 13th Century illuminated manuscripts, focusing on the musical instruments played from this time period, and from the Portugal, Spain, and Northern Africa geographical areas. She fell in love with the easy process of Laid Work, applied to the historical images, which produces a relaxation feeling like coloring; instead of paper and crayons, she uses embroidery floss on fabric. The easy approach of Laid Work is a way to share the images she finds intriguing, with the vibrant colors of embroidery. She is interested in merging digital images with textile enhancement, to share this fascinating combination of fiber art with historical art. Giving history this fiber quality can offer insight to the changes of societies, cultures, and traditions over time.

Lizzy Pye is an embroidery tutor first and foremost, classically trained on the Royal School of Needlework Apprenticeship. In 2009 she was lucky enough to be one of the final six graduate Apprentices, finishing with a Distinction and very sore fingertips! She is proud to be a Royal School of Needlework tutor, and also teaches a lot of her own classes and private students. She is passionate about passing on her skills through teaching, and preserving both skills and heirlooms for future generations to enjoy. She has worked on some fascinating projects over the years, including the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding gown and embroidery designs for the Royal Opera House. She was commissioned to write the Royal School of Needlework’s Essential Stitch Guide: Whitework, published in 2012, and in 2020 Crowood Press published her second book: Goldwork Embroidery, Techniques and Projects. Lizzy also runs an online shop through which she sells the embroidery products with which she loves to work, alongside her own range of embroidery kits.

Merrilyn is an internationally renowned hand embroiderer, designer, author and teacher. Magazine articles of Merrilyn’s work are regularly featured in publications in USA, Australia, and New Zealand. Merrilyn opened her first needlework shop in 1978. With an artistic heritage and a passion for hand work this was the starting point for a long creative and rewarding journey with needle, threads and fabrics.

Raven Fagelson learned to cross stitch as a child from her father.  She loves teaching, especially that “Ah ha!” moment when a student grasps a new skill. Raven holds certificate in Technical Hand Embroidery from the Royal School of Needlework and a master craftsman in crewelwork but enjoys stitching many style, especially historic surface embroidery. Raven is a EGA Certified teacher in Surface Embroidery and Crewel.

Connie took her first class in goldwork embroidery in 2019 at the SF School of Needlework and Design. Finding herself drawn to the shine and shimmer of the materials and the joy that embroidery brought her as a pastime, she decided to take more classes and started training in tambour beading. Soon she had learned enough techniques to experiment with beads and sequins and started creating designs of her own. A small collection of her first designs came in the form of greeting cards, of which the butterflies design has been adapted to regular needlepoint in an online class with EGA for 2023. Her hope is to train further in tambour beading and to continue to create new art pieces to inspire, open up and to bring to new people who are yet to discover the joy of embroidery.

J. Marsha Michler is a nonfiction author of 13 printed books, and 8 self-published eBooks on the topics of crazy quilting, embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, wire jewelry, and knitting. Her quilts have won awards at quilting shows, and her work has been featured in national magazines and other publications including our Needle Arts magazine. Holding a degree in Business Marketing, and three-quarters of a degree in fine arts, summa cum laude and dean’s list, she has taught classes on crazy quilting, embroidery, and wire jewelry. She actively pursues crazy quilting, embroidery, fiber spinning, knitting, fiction and poetry writing, ballroom dancing, stone wall building, and resides with her husband and dog in the beautiful and inspiring foothills of Southern Maine.

Merrilyn is an internationally renowned hand embroiderer, designer, author and teacher. Magazine articles of Merrilyn’s work are regularly featured in publications in USA, Australia, and New Zealand. Merrilyn opened her first needlework shop in 1978. With an artistic heritage and a passion for hand work this was the starting point for a long creative and rewarding journey with needle, threads and fabrics.

Kim is a member of The Embroiderers’ Association of Canada, Embroiderer’s Guild of America and the American Needlepoint Guild. Kim is an EAC Certified Teacher in Counted Thread. She has her Mastercraftsman in Counted Thread with EGA. She is a counsellor for EAC. Kim enjoys designing pieces in a variety of techniques. She enjoys teaching as well as learning new techniques to incorporate into her designs. Kim has taught many age groups the enjoyment of needlework. Her pieces have been exhibited in the United States and Australia. She has won awards for her designs in Canada and the United States. Kim has had many designs published throughout the world including Inspirations and Just Cross Stitch magazines , and the books A Cross Stitch Christmas and Whitework Inspirations.

Katherine Diuguid is a studio artist specializing in hand embroidery, dressmaking, and textiles. Her current work investigates color theory and color interactions within stitching, especially goldwork embroidery. She has taught embroidery and textile workshops both nationally and internationally. She held a tenure-track position at North Carolina State University (2012-2017) until deciding to focus fully on her studio embroidery. She has been awarded artist residencies at the North Carolina Museum of Art (Fall 2017) and Penland School of Crafts (Winter 2018 and Winter 2019). Additionally, Katherine has had the opportunity to work on special projects for Durham Cathedral (UK) stitching Panel 10 of the new Open Treasures Cope and for the Art Institute of Chicago stitching a sampler based on their beautiful Burgo de Osma Altarpiece. www.katherinediuguid.com

Sarah Pedlow is an artist working with embroidery and cultural preservation. In 2009 while in Budapest for an artist’s residency, she visited the Ethnographic Museum and fell in love with the traditional clothing and embroidery. The visit inspired her to seek out women who stitch a particular style called Hungarian written embroidery in Transylvania, Romania, and start the education and preservation project ThreadWritten in 2012. She has been lecturing and teaching cultural embroidery workshops since 2014 and now leads stitching retreats in Europe. Residencies in Iceland; Oaxaca, Mexico; and Holland, as well as embroidery study in Ukraine and Portugal, inform her current practice. She holds an MFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, and a BA in Studio Art and French Studies from Scripps College, Claremont, CA. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, she moved to Amsterdam, NL in 2019 where she now lives and works. You can find her artwork at sarahpedlow.com.

John has been stitching for over thirty years and loves to teach and share almost as much as he loves to learn. Canvas work with the variety of opportunities is his ground of choice. His teaching assignments have included national ANG seminars, Callaway, retail shops, EGA regional seminars and individual guilds (ANG and EGA). John is the twice President of the National Embroidery Teacher’s Association, NETA. He is also a member of EGA’s Fiber Forum.

Celeste Chalasani is a designer who specializes in stumpwork and teaches at chapter workshops and at regional and national seminars. Celeste has been published in Needle Arts, Piecework Magazine, and GPR Designers 2012.  

Celeste is enrolled in the National Academy of NeedleArts (NAN) Teachers’ Certification program. “Teaching Stumpwork is a labor of love for me. I am passionate about sharing what I know. I approach teaching from the understanding that different people learn in different ways. I strive to provide clear written instructions with step by step color photos, orally explain the technique with color coded visual aids, demonstrate stitches and techniques, and work one on one with each student as they practice their techniques.”

 www.celestechalasani.com

Needle Arts Profile: Celeste Chalasani

Judy Borreson Caruso stitched her first BDE piece in 2008 and fell in love with the beautiful threads. Now she designs and teaches BDE locally, regionally and internationally. Recently, Judy taught the EGA Online Studio class, Beginning BDE. Judy has taught BDE at the BDE International Guild Seminar for the past twelve years. She also teaches in the Madison, WI area and has taught at a Heartland Regional EGA workshop. Judy is a member and past president of the Madison Area Chapter of EGA and a member of the BDE International Guild.

Katherine Diuguid is a studio artist specializing in hand embroidery, dressmaking, and textiles. Her current work investigates color theory and color interactions within stitching, especially goldwork embroidery. She has taught embroidery and textile workshops both nationally and internationally. She held a tenure-track position at North Carolina State University (2012-2017) until deciding to focus fully on her studio embroidery. She has been awarded artist residencies at the North Carolina Museum of Art (Fall 2017) and Penland School of Crafts (Winter 2018 and Winter 2019). Additionally, Katherine has had the opportunity to work on special projects for Durham Cathedral (UK) stitching Panel 10 of the new Open Treasures Cope and for the Art Institute of Chicago stitching a sampler based on their beautiful Burgo de Osma Altarpiece. www.katherinediuguid.com

Arlene Cohen spends one half of her life as a middle school math teacher and the other half as a needlework designer and stitcher. Under the name WorksByABC (yes, her initials really are ABC), she designs and publishes cross stitch, blackwork, and canvas work patterns. She has also had cross stitch patterns published in Just Cross Stitch and XStitch magazines. You may have seen pictures of Arlene’s sixth grade students during a five-year time span when she was sharing in Needle Arts about her work with teaching students how to cross stitch for a community service project. Hundreds of Kissing Pillows were created by these students and given to deploying troops. A stitcher for her entire life, Arlene has also won numerous awards at ANG Seminars and at Woodlawn.

Jacqui Clarkson has taught for EGA, ANG, quilt guilds, a Fine Arts college and museums in Canada and the United States. Her workshop and lecture topics range from Sashiko, threads, to historical aspects of needlework. She has designed pieces for national thread and fabric companies, and for national magazines and needlework books. She has been published in the ANG magazine. Jacqui is a Journeyman Level II in the Master Teacher Program of ANG. She has served in leadership roles within local and region level of EGA and ANG.

Terri Bay, a teacher and designer from South Carolina, began teaching Ukrainian Whitework at Nordic Needle’s retreat. One class lead to another and now she has taught Ukrainian Whitework, Hardanger, Pulled and Drawn Thread and Blackwork at the EGA National Seminars, ANG Seminars, NAN, Regional Seminars, chapter workshops, and various retreats and other fun events. She was honored to be featured as the Designer Across America in the June 2018 issue of Needle Arts Magazine and will have a design in Needle Pointers in the fall of 2021. Terri is a member of EGA, EAC, ANG, and NETA. www.terribayneedleworkdesigns.com

Kurdy Biggs is a counted canvas designer, teacher and owner of Threedles Needleart Designs. Kurdy holds a Level II teachers’ certification from NAN. Her geometric designs have won numerous awards from EGA, ANG, NAN, TNNA and Woodlawn. She has been published in Needle Pointers, Needlepoint Now, and Cross Stitch and Needlework. Kurdy has taught for EGA, NAN and ANG national and regional seminars and in retail shops. Visit www.threedles.com for more information.

Jennifer Riefenberg is an accomplished needle artist, meshing her love of the arts into new and varied mediums. She enjoys teaching, both the technical skills and the pure love and joys of art and creativity at the national, regional, and local levels. Jennifer holds teaching and judges certifications through NAN as a teacher/designer and judge as well as being on the board as the Assistant Director of Judging. She has won numerous awards for her needle art and other artwork to include a piece accessioned into the permanent collection at the Gregg School of Art & Design at North Carolina State University. Jennifer is also an artist with other mediums to include painting en plein air (from “life”) and photography and is a winner of national and regional awards with her artwork as well as her embroidery.

Carolyn Standing Webb has a degree in education but finds needlework much more rewarding to teach. She grew up in a home where art was a part of everyday life and creativity was encouraged. An EGA member of our Wasatch, Salt Lake City Chapter, she has been a needlework designer and teacher for over twenty years, teaching on the local, regional and national levels. She has a line of patterns available in retail stores. Several pieces of her work have been published in books and magazines and she has won a number of prizes for her needlework. She has her Master Craftsman in Counted Thread. Her goal is to share with her students her love of needlework and to help them relax and enjoy it.

Carole Rinard has studied color since she was in high school and has incorporated color theory in the clothing and textile classes she taught at the university level. She is an EGA Master Needlework Judge and a Color Master Craftsman. She has been active in all levels of EGA and has served on the national board. Since 1989, she has volunteered at the Santa Fe Opera costume shop where she has heard numerous designers and directors discuss color in costumes, sets, and lighting. She lives in Los Alamos, New Mexico with her husband.

Jonalene is EGA certified in Counted Thread. She is a member of our Indian River Chapter in Florida and has been teaching various forms of needlework since 1982 at EGA chapters, and events at the regional and national level. She has over sixty needlework publications under the name of Friends in Needlework and three retired EGA Group Correspondence Courses.

Kay Stanis is an internationally known fiber artist, designer, Master Craftsman, and Certified and Graduate Certified Teacher of EGA and Kurenai Kai Traditional Japanese Embroidery.  She has been on the faculties of American Needlepoint Guild national seminars, Callaway School of Needlearts, Embroiderers Association of Canada, EGA national and regional seminars, Koala Conventions, South Australia Embroidery Conference, Embroidery 2000 (New Zealand), and many independent groups.

Denise Harrington Pratt is an artist and needlework designer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a passion for counted thread embroidery on linen. Denise has been teaching needlework since 1995. She has taught at Spirit of Cross Stitch Festivals, National and Regional Seminars for the Embroiderers’ Guild of America, Inc., and EGA chapters. She also has developed Group Correspondence Courses and Online Courses for EGA. Denise is an active member of the Southern Maine Chapter of EGA.

Kay Stanis is an internationally known fiber artist, designer, Master Craftsman, and Certified and Graduate Certified Teacher of EGA and Kurenai Kai Traditional Japanese Embroidery.  She has been on the faculties of American Needlepoint Guild national seminars, Callaway School of Needlearts, Embroiderers Association of Canada, EGA national and regional seminars, Koala Conventions, South Australia Embroidery Conference, Embroidery 2000 (New Zealand), and many independent groups.

Denise Harrington Pratt is an artist and needlework designer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a passion for counted thread embroidery on linen. Denise has been teaching needlework since 1995. She has taught at Spirit of Cross Stitch Festivals, National and Regional Seminars for the Embroiderers’ Guild of America, Inc., and EGA chapters. She also has developed Group Correspondence Courses and Online Courses for EGA. Denise is an active member of the Southern Maine Chapter of EGA.

Melinda Sherbring came to embroidery through her fascination with historical crafts. An aerospace software engineer until retiring in 2013, she now teaches needlework with designs rooted in history. She has written two EGA GCCs, taught EGA’s 2020 Extended Study Program, and was featured in the March 2018 Needle Arts magazine as Designer Across America.

Barbara M. Kershaw has a passion for learning and sharing her knowledge of the many varied and wonderful forms of embroidery generally called whitework. She has taken many courses and classes from the EAC, EGA, and ANG. Barbara is certified as an EGA Master Craftsman in counted thread. She also studied in Germany at the Museum de Schwalm in 2005 and 2011. She has been teaching for over 20 years at various EAC national seminars, EGA national and regional seminars, guilds in Canada, America and Bermuda as well as two International teaching tours of the USA. Barbara is the author of EGA Group Correspondence Courses – Noel and Individual Correspondence Course Basic Study of Schwalm Embroidery. Her book Exquisite Schwalm focuses on Schwalm filling stitches.

Laura Smith is an embroidery innovator, nationally known designer, and process style teacher.She holds the EGA Master Craftsman in Color and has served as chair for the Master Craftsman in Color Program since 2006. She is a past Chairman of Fiber Forum (2011-2015) and a former director of an arts center. Her education in chemistry has helped her to understand mixed media and textiles. Her website is www.Stitch4Fun.com.

Diane Herrmann won EGA’s Gold Thread Award in 2015 and has taught within EGA, ANG and the Windy City Chapter of EGA both regionally and nationally. She has affiliations with EGA, ANG, NAN and NETA. Diane has several publications and presentations over the years to include “Diaper Pattern and Needlepoint” in Crafting by Concepts. Accomplishments and awards have been granted to include the Jean Thomas Howard Scholarship as a teacher in 2009 as well as NAN Exemplary in 2009, 2012 and 2015, among several other recognitions. Diane teaches one of EGA’s latest Individual Correspondence Courses: Techniques for Canvas Embroidery.

Kim Sanders is an EGA certified teacher in crewel and surface embroidery and a Master Craftsman in surface embroidery and in smocking. She holds a degree in Textiles and Clothing from the University of Tennessee. Kim has taught at shops, chapters, EGA national and regional seminars and has authored four GCC, an ICC, and several Petite Projects. Her articles and designs have appeared in Inspirations, Needle Arts, Australian Smocking and Embroidery and The Smocking Arts. She filmed four embroidery focused segments of the PBS program, Creative Living with Sheryl Borden.

About teacher Kay Stanis

Kay Stanis is an internationally known fiber artist, designer, Master Craftsman, and Certified and Graduate Certified Teacher of EGA and Kurenai Kai Traditional Japanese Embroidery.  She has been on the faculties of American Needlepoint Guild national seminars, Callaway School of Needlearts, Embroiderers Association of Canada, EGA national and regional seminars, Koala Conventions, South Australia Embroidery Conference, Embroidery 2000 (New Zealand), and many independent groups.

About teacher Carole Lake

Carole Lake, from Austin, Texas, is an EGA-certified teacher who specializes in manipulating common and uncommon threads and stitches to create textured effects, with a special interest in the effect and symbolism of color. Her award-winning work has been displayed in exhibits throughout the southwest. She has been actively teaching and designing since the 1980s. A native Texan and graduate of Rice University, her enthusiasm for the needlearts has translated into a strong desire to exchange ideas, explore techniques, and share the love of stitching. Now retired from teaching in person, Carole is fond of mentoring upcoming teachers and passing along all the tips and tricks she learned over the years.

Howard Vincent Kurtz has an extensive and diversified career in costumes, which has involved professional design, academic teaching, and work as a fashion historian. He is Professor Emeritus of Theater at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, While at Mason, he served as the Associate Curator of Costumes and Textiles at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington, DC, the former residence of the Post cereal heiress, Marjorie Merriweather Post. Howard is a Fellow of the Costume Society of America and lectures on topics related to historical dress throughout the East Coast.

J. Marsha Michler is a nonfiction author of 13 printed books, and 8 self-published eBooks on the topics of crazy quilting, embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, wire jewelry, and knitting. Her quilts have won awards at quilting shows, and her work has been featured in national magazines and other publications including our Needle Arts magazine. Holding a degree in Business Marketing, and three-quarters of a degree in fine arts, summa cum laude and dean’s list, she has taught classes on crazy quilting, embroidery, and wire jewelry. She actively pursues crazy quilting, embroidery, fiber spinning, knitting, fiction and poetry writing, ballroom dancing, stone wall building, and resides with her husband and dog in the beautiful and inspiring foothills of Southern Maine.